Resources

Calvary Episcopal is a warm and welcoming church. We take seriously the slogan on our sign: “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.” What that means is simply what it says: you are welcome at our church. You do not have to leave anything about yourself at the door when you come to Calvary Episcopal Church. Your mind, your spirit and your body are all welcome when you come to be with us or to worship with us. We firmly believe that everyone is created in the image of God and therefore deserves high respect and a warm welcome.

Our mission statement is more than just a slogan: To proclaim by word and deed the Good News of God in Christ. We proclaim the welcoming Good News of God in many ways. We proclaim Good News each Sunday through our liturgy and an outstanding choir that features classical Anglican music. We proclaim Good News through a dedicated team of Sunday School Teachers that nurtures the children and youth in our church and community. We proclaim Good News with an extensive outreach program that serves over 5000 meals a year to homeless youth, and distributes over 50,000 pounds of food to the needy and hungry in downtown Santa Cruz. We explore and declare Good News through several theological and Bible Study groups that meet each week.

As an Episcopal Church the guide we use to understand the Good News of God in Christ is our beloved Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer dates back to 1549, and was the first official liturgy of the church in the English language. The prayer book is a schedule and collection of ancient and contemporary prayers, psalms, creeds and canticles. It includes a perspective of God that has been framed by the ancient church, and recognizes the discoveries of modern science. St. Basil’s liturgy from the 4th century is often offered on Sundays during Holy Communion. We use the words and prayers of Christians from the 2nd century catacombs of Rome, and understand that our worship is offered from an infinitesimally small place in interstellar space. Do join us on this marvelous adventure and journey of discovering The Good News of God in Christ.

To learn more about Calvary and Episcopal worship, please visit our Welcome and Worship pages.